Suryakumar Yadav has publicly backed Abhishek Sharma after the opener endured a miserable three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe, reminding the young left-hander of what he has delivered for India over the past two years.
A lean series for the world No. 2
Abhishek arrived in Zimbabwe ranked second among T20I batters in the world, but the 24-year-old never found his rhythm. He made 4, 5 and 2, a combined total of just 11 runs across three innings. India still won the series 3-0, yet the opener’s form became one of the tour’s main talking points.
After the final match, Abhishek posted a message on Instagram in which he admitted it hurts when he cannot repay the faith people place in him. He added that the game rewards those who keep turning up, said he was glad the team had won, and promised to return stronger.
Suryakumar’s message
Among the replies, the one from former India T20I captain Suryakumar drew the most attention. He told Abhishek that he had given supporters plenty to smile about for two years running and had delivered for India when it mattered most. Suryakumar said it was only a matter of time, urged him to stay true to himself and finished with the hashtag Fearless.
Fans responded warmly, praising the senior batter for backing a team-mate openly during a difficult spell.
Sooryavanshi takes the headlines
If Abhishek’s series was a struggle, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s was a triumph. He scored 50 off 18 balls, 20 off 9 and 81 off 49 across the three games, and collected both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards.
That haul made him the youngest player ever to win a Player of the Series award in men’s international cricket.
